Last updated: April 26, 2026
Affiliate Disclosure for PickinRocket
Last Updated: October 15, 2024
Welcome to PickinRocket. Before you read any of our sporting goods reviews, buying guides, or product recommendations, we want to be completely transparent about how this website operates and how we earn money. This Affiliate Disclosure page explains our relationships with third-party retailers and affiliate networks, how those relationships may affect the content you read, and what we do to protect the integrity of every review and ranking we publish. Transparency is not just a legal obligation for us – it is a core part of how we do business with our readers.
What Is an Affiliate Link?
An affiliate link is a specially tracked URL that connects a click from our website to a purchase you make on a retailer’s website. When you click a link on PickinRocket and then complete a qualifying purchase through that link, we may receive a small commission from the retailer or affiliate network at no additional cost to you. The price you pay for any product – whether it is a hockey stick, a pair of hiking boots, a kayak paddle, or a pair of cross-country skis – is exactly the same whether you arrive at the retailer’s site through our link or by typing the address directly into your browser. You never pay more, and in many cases our partnerships allow us to surface exclusive deals and discounts that benefit you directly.
These commissions are what allow PickinRocket to continue operating as a free resource for Canadian outdoor enthusiasts, athletes, and sports shoppers. Without them, we would not be able to purchase products for hands-on testing, maintain the website, or dedicate the time required to publish detailed, well-researched reviews.
FTC Compliance Statement
PickinRocket complies with the guidelines established by the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under 16 CFR Part 255, which require clear and conspicuous disclosure of material connections between publishers and the brands or retailers whose products they discuss. Although PickinRocket is a Canadian website serving primarily Canadian consumers, we believe these guidelines represent the international standard for honest, ethical publishing and we hold ourselves to them regardless of jurisdiction.
In addition to FTC guidelines, PickinRocket operates in accordance with the Competition Bureau of Canada’s rules regarding truthful advertising and the disclosure of commercial relationships. Any time a financial relationship exists between PickinRocket and a product, brand, retailer, or affiliate program mentioned on this site, we disclose that relationship clearly – either on this page, within the relevant article, or both. We use standard disclosure language at the top of any article containing affiliate links, so you are never left guessing.
Affiliate Programs We Participate In
PickinRocket currently participates in the following affiliate programs and networks. This list is reviewed regularly and updated whenever new partnerships are added or existing ones are discontinued.
Amazon Associates Canada (amazon.ca): We are a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.ca. As a site focused on Canadian sporting goods, Amazon.ca is one of our most frequently used affiliate partners because it carries a wide range of products relevant to our readers – including hockey equipment, cycling gear, camping supplies, fitness equipment, and hunting and fishing accessories. When you click an Amazon.ca link on PickinRocket and make a qualifying purchase within the applicable cookie window, we may earn a commission.
Impact (impact.com): We work with several Canadian and international sporting goods brands through the Impact affiliate network. Impact connects publishers like PickinRocket with brands that operate their own affiliate programs outside of traditional retail networks. Partners accessed through Impact may include outdoor apparel companies, specialty gear retailers, and fitness equipment manufacturers that sell direct-to-consumer in Canada.
CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction): Through CJ Affiliate, we partner with a number of retailers that carry sporting goods and outdoor recreation products relevant to Canadian consumers. CJ Affiliate is one of the largest and most established affiliate networks in the world, and our participation in it allows us to link to a broad selection of brands and retailers while maintaining a single consolidated reporting relationship.
ShareASale: ShareASale is another major affiliate network through which PickinRocket partners with select sporting goods and outdoor lifestyle brands. Some of the smaller, specialty Canadian brands we review and recommend operate their affiliate programs through ShareASale, making it an important part of how we support emerging and niche manufacturers in the Canadian market.
PartnerStack: PickinRocket participates in the PartnerStack network primarily for partnerships with software, subscription services, and digital tools that are relevant to our audience – for example, training apps, fitness tracking platforms, sports coaching software, and outdoor navigation tools. If we review or recommend a digital product or subscription service on PickinRocket, that referral relationship is likely managed through PartnerStack.
This list represents our current primary affiliate relationships. We may also have direct affiliate arrangements with individual brands or retailers that are not managed through one of the networks listed above. In all such cases, the same disclosure principles apply and will be noted within the relevant content.
How We Earn Money
When you click an affiliate link on PickinRocket – for example, a link to a Bauer hockey helmet on Amazon.ca, a pair of Salomon trail running shoes through a CJ Affiliate partner, or a Garmin GPS unit through an Impact partner – a tracking cookie is placed in your browser. If you complete a qualifying purchase within the retailer’s defined cookie window (which varies by program but is typically between 24 hours and 30 days), PickinRocket receives a commission. Commission rates vary significantly by program and product category, ranging from less than one percent to fifteen percent or more of the qualifying sale value.
We also earn revenue through display advertising served by third-party ad networks. Advertising revenue is completely separate from our editorial process and does not influence which products we review, how we score them, or what we recommend.
Occasionally, brands send us products for review purposes at no charge. When this happens, we disclose it clearly in the relevant article. Receiving a free product does not guarantee a positive review and does not influence our scoring methodology. We return products that we cannot evaluate objectively, and we decline review samples from brands whose products have already received poor performance results in our independent testing.
Editorial Independence Statement
The existence of affiliate relationships does not influence the editorial content published on PickinRocket. Our reviews, rankings, buying guides, and product comparisons are based on independent research, hands-on product testing, verified user feedback, and objective evaluation criteria specific to each product category. We do not accept payment from brands or retailers in exchange for positive coverage, higher rankings, or favorable editorial treatment of any kind.
To illustrate how this works in practice: if we test five pairs of Canadian-market ice hockey skates and find that the two highest-ranked skates in our buying guide carry a lower affiliate commission than the lower-ranked options, our rankings still reflect our honest assessment of fit, performance, blade quality, and value. Similarly, if a product sold at a retailer that participates in no affiliate program outperforms products sold through our affiliate partners, we will recommend it based on merit and link to it without any expectation of commission. Our readers come to PickinRocket for trustworthy, Canadian-focused sporting goods advice, and maintaining that trust is worth more to us than any individual commission.
Our editorial team and our monetization operations are kept intentionally separate. Writers and reviewers are instructed to evaluate products without regard to affiliate relationships and are not compensated based on the revenue generated by the articles they produce.
Specific Examples Relevant to Canadian Sporting Goods
To make this disclosure as clear and practical as possible, here are a few examples of how affiliate relationships appear in our content. When we publish a guide titled “Best Hockey Sticks in Canada,” links to products on Amazon.ca, Pure Hockey, or Sport Chek (where affiliate programs are active) may be affiliate links. When we review cross-country ski packages available through Canadian retailers, links to those products may generate commissions. When we compare Canadian-market kayaks and link to manufacturer websites or online paddling retailers, those links may be tracked through CJ Affiliate or Impact. When we recommend a fitness training app suitable for Canadian winter athletes, that referral link may be managed through PartnerStack. In every case, the disclosure language at the top of the article, combined with the information on this page, provides you with a complete picture of our commercial relationships.
Questions About This Disclosure
If you have any questions about this Affiliate Disclosure, our editorial practices, or any specific commercial relationship mentioned on PickinRocket, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are committed to responding to disclosure-related inquiries promptly and thoroughly.
You can reach us by email at: info@pickinrocket.com
We welcome feedback from our readers and take concerns about editorial integrity seriously. If you ever believe that a piece of content on PickinRocket does not fairly reflect a product’s actual qualities, or that a commercial relationship has not been properly disclosed, please let us know and we will investigate and respond accordingly.
Changes to This Disclosure
PickinRocket reserves the right to update or modify this Affiliate Disclosure at any time to reflect changes in our affiliate partnerships, applicable laws and regulations, or our internal editorial policies. When material changes are made, the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page will be revised accordingly. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we operate. Your continued use of PickinRocket following any changes to this disclosure constitutes your acknowledgment of and agreement with the updated terms.
– Auburn AI editorial, Calgary AB